Donkey Kong's Monkey Business Has Fans Convinced Mario's Brewing Up Something Special (and Maybe a Switch 2)
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
The reveal of *Donkey Kong Bananza* has fans speculating about a new 3D Mario game, possibly coinciding with the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, largely due to the absence of Nintendo legend Yoshiaki Koizumi from the Donkey Kong project.
Right, so Nintendo drops a bunch of juicy details about *Donkey Kong Bananza* (cheers, IGN South Africa for the scoop!), and the internet immediately explodes with speculation. Not about the Donkey Kong game itself – which, let's be honest, looks absolutely bonkers in the best way – but about what this means for our mustachioed mate, Mario.
See, *Donkey Kong Bananza* is being steered by Kenta Motokura (who directed *Super Mario 3D World* and *Super Mario Odyssey*) and Kazuya Takahashi. But here's the kicker: the whole idea apparently came from Yoshiaki Koizumi, a Nintendo legend who's been knee-deep in every major 3D Mario platformer since *Super Mario 64*. He's like the Gandalf of jumping and collecting stars, yeah?
So, if Koizumi isn't directing or producing this ape-tastic adventure, what *is* he up to? Is he secretly building a warp pipe to a brand-new 3D Mario game, possibly timed with the arrival of the fabled Switch 2? The gaming hive mind seems to think so.
As one eagle-eyed fan put it on X (formerly Twitter), Koizumi's absence is “proof enough that there’s a separate 3D Mario in development and that Bananza isn’t supposed to take Mario’s spot.” Bold words, mate. Bold words. Others online are equally hyped, wondering aloud if the next 3D Mario will usher in a new era for Nintendo.
Now, it's easy to get carried away with speculation (I should know, I once predicted that *Animal Crossing* would get a gritty, post-apocalyptic sequel… still waiting on that one, Nintendo). But it's been a fair while since *Super Mario Odyssey* graced our consoles back in 2017. A new 3D Mario game is practically inevitable, and the timing *would* make sense with the rumors swirling around a Switch successor.
Of course, we shouldn't let this Mario-mania overshadow the fact that *Donkey Kong Bananza* looks genuinely fantastic. But let's be honest, the absence of Koizumi is definitely making the internet's collective spidey-sense tingle. Is Nintendo playing 4D chess with our expectations? Only time will tell. One thing’s for sure, whatever Koizumi's cooking up, it's bound to be something special. And if it *is* launching alongside new hardware? Well, then we're all in for a treat.
Tags: Nintendo, Super Mario, Donkey Kong, Switch 2, Yoshiaki Koizumi
Original article: IGN South Africa